Height adjustable shelf clamp

ABSTRACT

A modular shelf assembly has a vertical support having a channel in one face thereof and an adjustable bracket having a rear portion cooperatively configured and slidable in the channel. The bracket includes top and lower clamps each having a body portion with opposed clamping surfaces and depending leg portions. The leg portions are slidable relative to each other, and an adjusting screw is engaged with the upper clamp to effect relative movement between the clamping surfaces to clamp a shelf between the clamping surfaces. The bracket also has a positioning fastener seated in the lower clamp below the shelf and extending through the clamps to engage the support to secure the clamps to each other and to the support.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Applicationfor Letters patent application Ser. No. 10/076,082 filed Feb. 15, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a modular storage structure whichincludes shelves and the like supported on vertical supports. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a novel bracket foradjustably supporting shelves on the vertical supports.

In application Ser. No. 10/076,082 filed Feb. 15, 2002, there isdescribed a novel modular storage system which has vertical supports onwhich are mounted various types of storage components. Among thecomponents of that system are brackets which can be adjustably mountedin channels of the supports. The brackets can be readily adjusted on thevertical supports. However, as is frequently the case, a shelf which issupported in a horizontal position between a pair of supports is foundnot to be level and one of the brackets must be moved vertically on thevertical support. In order to do so, this may require removal of theshelf to be able to manipulate the bracket components and reposition thebracket.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel mountingbracket for a modular storage system that can be easily adjusted after ashelf or the like has been mounted therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects may bereadily attained in a modular shelf assembly which includes a verticalsupport having a channel in one face thereof, an adjustable brackethaving a rear portion cooperatively configured and slidable in thechannel. The bracket includes a lower clamp having a body portion with aclamping surface at its upper end and a depending leg portion, and a topclamp having a body portion and a clamping surface at its lower endcooperating with the clamping surface of the lower clamp and a dependingleg portion. The leg portions are slidable relative to each other. Anadjusting screw on the lower clamp is engaged with the upper clamp toeffect relative movement between the clamping surfaces to clamp a shelfbetween the clamping surfaces and a shelf having an end clamped in thebracket. The bracket also has a positioning fastener seated in the lowerclamp below the shelf and extending through the clamps to engage thesupport to secure the clamps to each other and to the support.

Preferably, the vertical support is configured to provide a bracketreceiving channel in opposite faces thereof and most desirably, thevertical support has four faces with panel receiving channels in theother faces thereof.

The bracket receiving channel(s) has a keyway at the inner end thereofwhich seats a locking washer cooperating with the positioning fastener.The upper clamp has a recess which seats a locking washer cooperatingwith the adjusting screw. The lower clamp has a channel in which isslidable the depending leg portion of the upper clamp.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a storage system using thenovel adjustable brackets of the present invention for supportingshelves and the like;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vertical supports shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an adjustable bracket of the presentinvention mounted upon a fragmentarily illustrated vertical support;

FIG. 4 is an exploded front perspective view of the bracket;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the bracket;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with a fragmentarily illustratedshelf clamped therein; and

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the bracket and vertical support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present application is a continuation-in-part application Ser. No.10/076,082 filed Feb. 15, 2002 and is directed to an improvement on theadjustable bracket therein. Applicant incorporates by reference thespecification and drawings of the patent application.

In the aforementioned patent application, the adjustable bracket has thepositioning fastener 114 seated in the upper clamping member as shown inFIG. 15 thereof. As a result, a shelf seated in the bracket blockedaccess to the positioning fastener 114 so that the bracket could not beadjusted along the vertical support.

FIG. 1 illustrates an enclosure with a floor 2 and a ceiling 3 and inwhich is installed a storage system generally designated by the numeral10. The storage system 10 includes elongated vertical supports orstanchions 12 and one or more storage components including shelves 14,drawers 16, baskets 18, shoe racks 20 and adjustable brackets 22. It iscontemplated that any combination of vertical supports 12 may be used sothat the storage system 10 may extend along one or more walls in a room,or rows of storage may be created by mounting rows of vertical supports12 in the center of a room.

The elongated vertical support 12 of FIG. 1 is shown in greater detailin FIG. 2. Each elongated vertical support 12 includes a front portion24, a rear portion 26, and a center portion 28 which cooperate toprovide channels 30, 32, on opposite side surfaces and the front andrear portions 26 also have channels 34, 35 therein. The several portionscooperate to provide a keyway 36 or 38 at the inner end of the channel30, 32. The elongated vertical support 12 can be formed by extrusion ofmetal or reinforced resin, or by roll forming metal strip. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, the vertical support 12 is of a length to extendfrom the floor 2 to the ceiling 3.

As seen in FIG. 3, the shelves 14 are supported in adjustable bracketsgenerally designated by the numeral 50. The bracket 50 has a lower clampgenerally designated by the numeral 52 and an upper clamp generallydesignated by the numeral 54 with which opposed clamping surfaces 53which are movable relative to each other. The upper clamp 54 has a bodyportion 56 and a depending leg portion 57 and the lower clamp 52 has abody portion 60 and a depending leg portion 61. The depending legportion 57 is slidably seated in a channel 58 in the depending legportion 61 of the lower clamp 52.

The clamps 52, 54 are configured to provide a rear surface which iscomplementary to the channel 30, 32 in the support 12 so as to beslidable therein.

The upper and lower clamps 52, 54 are secured to each other, and thebracket 50 is secured to the support 12, by the threaded fastener 66which seats in apertures 68 in the depending leg portions 57, 61 and isthreadably engaged in the locking washer 72 which is seated in thekeyway 36 of the support 12.

The upper clamp 54 may be drawn towards the lower clamp 52 by theelongated adjusting screw 74 which is seated in the leg portion 61 ofthe lower clamp 60 and has its upper end engaged in a washer 76 trappedin the depending leg portion 57 of the upper clamp 56. Rotation of thescrew 74 causes the clamps 52, 54 to move relative to each other toeffect firm engagement of a shelf 14 therebetween.

The fastener 66 is exposed on the front face of the lower clamp 52 belowthe shelf 14. By loosening the fastener 66, the bracket 50 may be movedupwardly or downwardly in the support channel 32 to the desiredposition.

The clamps 52, 54 are conveniently die cast from metal or molded fromsynthetic resin so as to provide a major portion and the clampingsurface.

As will be appreciated, vertical panels (not shown) may be seated in thechannels 38, 40. Other modular components may also be included asillustrated and described in the aforementioned patent application.

Thus, it can be seen that the bracket of the present invention provideseasy access to the positioning fastener even with a shelf mountedtherein so that it may be readily adjusted on the vertical support.

1. In a modular shelf assembly, the combination of (a) a verticalsupport having a channel in one face thereof; (b) an adjustable brackethaving a rear portion cooperatively configured and slidable in saidchannel, said bracket including a lower clamp having a body portion witha clamping surface at its upper end and a depending leg portion, and atop clamp having a body portion with a depending leg portion and aclamping surface at its lower end cooperating with the clamping surfaceof said lower clamp, said leg portions being slidable relative to eachother, an adjusting screw on said lower clamp engaged with said upperclamp to effect relative movement between said clamping surfaces toclamp a shelf between said clamping surfaces below said shelf, and ashelf having an end clamped in said bracket, said bracket also having apositioning fastener seated in said lower clamp below said shelf andextending through said clamps to engage said support to secure saidclamps to each other and to said support.
 2. The modular shelf assemblyin accordance with claim 1 wherein said vertical support is configuredto provide a bracket receiving channel in opposite faces thereof.
 3. Themodular shelf assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein said verticalsupport has four faces and a panel receiving channels in the other facesthereof.
 4. The modular shelf assembly in accordance with claim 1wherein said bracket receiving channel has a keyway at the inner endthereof which seats a locking washer cooperating with positioningfasteners.
 5. The modular shelf assembly in accordance with claim 1wherein said upper clamp has a recess which seats a locking washercooperating with said adjusting screw.
 6. The modular shelf assembly inaccordance with claim 1 wherein said lower clamp has a channel in whichis slidable said depending leg portion of said upper clamp.